Dr. Liz Thach, MW

Materra-Cunat Family Vineyards – A Unique Napa Valley Destination Known for White Wines

Entrance to Materra Cunat Family Vineyards in Napa Valley. Photo Credit: NapaWineProject Napa Valley is known world-wide for its famous wines made from cabernet sauvignon and cab blends, so it is unusual to find an estate winery in Napa that doesn’t grow cabernet sauvignon. Instead, Materra, located in the Oak Knoll AVA, a mere 10-minute drive north from the town of Napa, is known for its white wines. “Many visitors come here because they hear that we have a good selection of white wines,” says winemaker, Chelsea Barrett. In fact their 39 acres of vineyards are planted not only to [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:20:47-07:00June 30, 2021|

Meditating with Champagne

NOTE: Portions of this post were originally published in Forbes. Meditating with Champagne Recently I was invited to attend a Zoom webinar where we learned how to meditate with Champagne. It was organized by Champagne Henriot, who developed a partnership with Dr. Elisha Goldstein, the Founder of the Mindful Living Collective. At first I was a little skeptical, but after we completed the 10 minute meditation and debriefed it, I found it was not only an eye-opening experience for me, but for others as well. In fact the process has been so successful, that Champagne Henriot trade-marked the experience as [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-06-24T16:09:01-07:00June 24, 2021|

Acquiesce Winery – Where the Queen of White Rhone Lives

Earlier this Spring I was honored to visit Acquiesce Winery in the Lodi Wine region of California. Tucked away on a small farm road 13 minutes north of the town of Lodi, you will come upon a charming barn and tasting room, surrounded by verdant green vineyards. After parking in the small gravel parking lot, you will most likely notice a large imposing round sign on the red garage door of the barn. It depicts a woman standing on a grape vine with the words: Awaken, Transcend, Acquiesce. Acquiesce Winery Barn Door with Logo Immediately I was fascinated by the [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-05-24T10:20:29-07:00May 21, 2021|

Migliavacca – Resurrected Napa Winery Focuses on Italian Varieties

“What does Migliavaca mean?” I asked, sitting at the kitchen table of Katie Migliavacca, founder and co-owner of Migliavaca Winery in Napa Valley. We were tasting the wines of her family’s newly resurrected wine brand, Migliavacca. “Roughly translated it means ‘thousands of cows,’” replied Kate, “but it is a common surname in Italy.” “Fascinating,” I said, delighted to have the opportunity to participate in another Covid-safe winetasting during the pandemic. Katie had carefully spaced us 6 feet apart, opened the patio doors and windows wide, provided hand sanitizer, and insisted we wear masks until it was time to taste. “Tell [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:20:47-07:00April 17, 2021|

Constellation’s Wine Premiumization Strategy Is Starting To Pay Off

Originally published in Forbes. Constellation’s sell-off of its lower-priced wine brands to E&J Gallo seems to be paying off in terms of promoting their “premiumization” strategy in the wine arena. In an April 2021 earnings call with investors, President and CEO Bill Newlands reported, "Our retained wine and spirits portfolio, excluding divested brands, delivered net sales growth of 5% for the year, driven by double digit volume growth for Meiomi, Kim Crawford and the Prisoner Brand Family." Bottles of Constellation Brands Inc. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc © 2018 BLOOMBERG FINANCE LP Newlands also admitted that these three “wine power brands” [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-04-14T13:31:43-07:00April 14, 2021|

The White and Pink Side of Piedmont Wine

For anyone who has traveled to the tiny wine villages of Piedmont, Italy, with vine covered hills flanked by the snow-covered Italian Alps in the distance, the memory is usually pleasurable. Thoughts of tannic red Barolo and Barbaresco wines paired with black truffle pasta often come to mind, along with sparkling Moscato di Asti with pear gallete for dessert. Piedmont Italy with Wine Villages and Italian Alps. Photo Credit: Stefano Pertusia But rarely does one hear about the still white and pink wines of Piedmont, and except for the Cortese grape from the region of Gavi, many of these are [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-04-14T10:11:29-07:00April 13, 2021|

Rolling Hills and Spanish Varieties at Bokisch Winery in Lodi

Bokisch was the second winery we visited during our tour of the Lodi Wine region, and we were pleasantly surprised at its location on the crest of a small hill overlooking a vast vineyard. While the majority of Lodi vineyards are planted on the flat sandy soil of the Delta, Bokisch is located in the Clement Hills AVA. Here the elevation can range from 100 to 450 feet above sea level, and provides beautiful views of undulating hills covered with vineyards and wildflowers. Bokisch Winery in Lodi, California Liz Bokisch welcomed us, and we followed her to a beautiful outdoor [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:20:47-07:00March 21, 2021|

Oak Farm Vineyards – One of the Most Elegant Wineries in Lodi

As we listened to the voice of our GPS and turned down a narrow road, we were unprepared for the magnificence of the winery we were about to visit – Oak Farm Vineyards. My husband and I were touring the Lodi Wine region for two-days, and all around us stretched row upon row of bare grape vines, their limbs gnarly and black on a grey February day. The landscape was flat, composed of the sandy soil deposited by the confluence of two great rivers – the Sacramento and San Joaquin. Together they created the famous California Delta, home to some [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:20:48-07:00March 1, 2021|

Overview of 2020 US Wine Market Stats and 10 Hot Wine Trends for 2021

Though the US wine market endured a very bumpy ride in 2020, with many dire predictions of loss and doom due to the pandemic and wildfires, now that the numbers are in, the results are not that dismal. Yes, of course, on-premise wine sales plummeted, but off-premise and online sales came to the rescue. This caused the year to end with a surprising increase of 4.98% in still wine volume at 372 million 9-liter cases in 2020, compared to 357 million cases in 2019, according to BW166. Of this total, 84.7 million cases of still wine were imported in 2020. [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-26T08:53:29-08:00February 11, 2021|

Lodi Wine Region Fights to Save Ancient Grape Vines

Old grape vines are literally living, breathing pieces of agricultural history, with the grace of a magnificent sculpture. In the Lodi Wine Region of California, home to the highest concentration of old vines in America, with many of them over 100 years of age, there is a fight going on to preserve these ancient beauties. Bechthold Vineyard in Lodi Planted in 1886. A Heart-Breaking Choice Unfortunately, due to the increasing costs of vineyard management, low yields, urban developments, and a diminishing financial return, hundreds of acres of old winegrape vines around the world are ripped out each year. For growers [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:19:51-07:00November 14, 2020|

New Rosé Wine Revolution in Puglia, Italy

Many regions of the world produce lovely “pink” rosé wine, but an area getting more attention now is the Puglia region of Southern Italy. Nestled along the Adriatic Ocean in the “boot heel” of Italy, Puglia – also called Apulia – and pronounced “pulia,” is producing rosé wines from their native grapes. However, in Italy, the term for rosé wine is "rosato." Rosé wine from Puglia in Southern Italy. Photo Credit; Association Instagram What Types of Grapes Go Into Puglia Rosé Wine? Rosé wines are usually made by pressing red grapes early and letting the juice sit on the skin [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-30T17:30:51-08:00October 16, 2020|

Josh Hart, NBA Player and Wine Fan, Announces New Scholarship with Wine Access

For centuries, wine has been a cultural experience that brings people of all backgrounds together. With this in mind, Wine Access, the online wine retailer curating the world’s highest quality wines and immersive tasting experiences, partnered with Josh Hart, NBA player and wine enthusiast, to create a Diversity In Wine Scholarship Program. Josh Hart Announcing Wine Diversity Scholarship This scholarship aims to promote diversity and inclusivity in the wine industry and increase representation of the BIPOC community. As a company made up of wine experts with different backgrounds and experiences, Wine Access strives to provide more opportunities for minority groups [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-30T17:32:25-08:00September 22, 2020|

Intercept Wine, Created by Black NFL Player Charles Woodson, Now Available Across the US

Charles Woodson is the only defensive player ever to win a Heisman Trophy, and now he has achieved another triumph. After launching Intercept Wine in partnership with O’Neill Vintners & Distillers in 2019, Woodson was confronted by an issue which many producers in the wine industry face – trying to get wine distributed in more than just a few states. In the beginning Intercept Wine was only available in 15 states, but now it has achieved full national distribution through its partnership with O’Neill Vintners & Distillers. Charles Woodson with his wine brand, Intercept This makes Super Bowl champion, Charles [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-30T17:33:10-08:00September 17, 2020|

Ferrari Cars Celebrate With Ferrari Trento Sparkling Wines

Two iconic Italian brands come together in Florence on September 12 and 13th to celebrate the 1000th Grand Prix. The famous Ferrari car company partners with the historic Ferrari Trento sparkling wine company for this special occasion. Photo Credit: Ferrari Scuderia and Ferrari Trento Sparkling Wine For the first time in its history, the Mugello Circuit will host a FIA Formula 1 World Championship™ class race, and its coinciding with the important milestone of Scuderia Ferrari –the only team present in all of the 70 editions raced till now – has created the perfect occasion for celebrating in style in Florence with a Gala [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-06T21:03:25-08:00September 12, 2020|

A Visit to the Legendary Eisele Vineyards of Napa Valley

Established in the 1880’s, Eisele Vineyards, nestled in a special corner of Napa Valley is only 38 acres in size. This small size, along with a prestigious history of producing some of the highest quality wines in the valley over many years and multiple owners, has propelled it to the top echelon of Napa Valley vineyards, and is rightly referred to as a “Grand Cru” vineyard by some professionals. Famous Eisele Vineyard of Napa Valley, California I had a chance to visit this “sacred vineyard” for the first time in August 2020, under strict COVID safety procedures, and meet with [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2026-09-14T13:20:48-07:00September 7, 2020|

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